Hydraulic disk brake



Sept. 23, 1952 K. J. VAUGHN ,4 3 v HYDRAULIC DISK BRAKE Filed July 6, 1951 2 Sl-lEETS-Sl-IEET 1 KENNETH .4 (Mas/M, V

BY 7Z mm flmm I ATTORNEY INVENTOR v Filed July 6, '1951 K. J. VAUGHN HYDRAULIC-DISK BRAKE Sept. 23, 1952 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS i ate'nteci Sept.

mint Aerie Disk M Kenneth J. Vaughn, Middletown, Va.

' Aiiplieatioifliily e, 1951,1s'fiaiis6. 233,463 r The ma-1mm mates tdbfeiksi; and more particularly to fluid pressure-operated brakes for use with motor vehicles. I A main object" of the invention is to provide a novel and improved hydraulic disc brake struc-' ture which involves relatively few parts,- which is easy to install, and which is reliable in operatiomas well as easy to serviee at low cost to the user; a a

- A} u'i thr object-of the-invention is to provide an mpr'oved meter vehiele bra-lie assembly which is ifieiiensive to manufacture, which is compact m-sizew ing area;- as emptied witli-- the brake assemblies of; tl'ieprior art of-cein p'arable size and weight, which is; air eooled; whieh iiiyolves no brake drums, which high resistance to wear,- and which is arranged sdthat leakage of brake fluid from the brake cylinders will not cause the fluid to runonthe brake-lining and willtherefore not adversely masters brake lining or" cause uneven ldra k-irl g I g Fiirthr objects and advantages 033 the; inven' tiorr'will sesame apparent from 1 the followin deseription and claims, and from the a'c'com' pariying drawings-wherein} Figur'e l isa cross-sectional view taken on the line I-"-'-'I- or Figure" 3 showing the upper providsezceptionally large brak portion of a typical era-reassembly according to the presentinventiem asviewed from the interior side of the vehicle wheel associated with the brake assembly;

Figure" 2 is a horizontal: cross se'ctional view taken through the vehicle wheel with which the improved brakeassembly is-associated, said view showing the brake assembly in top view;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional viewf-taken on the-line 3+=3' of Figure 1;;

' Figure 4 is an enlargedcross-sectional detail view taken" on the line 4- -4 of Figure 3.-

Referring to the drawings, II designates a wheel spindle, and I2 designates the circular backing plate which is bolted to an annular flange I3 on the spindle I I as by a plurality of bolts I4. Designated at I5 is the wheel hub which is rotatably mounted on the spindle II, as by the respective roller bearing units It and IT. The hub I5 is formed with the splined annular housing I8 which houses the bearing unit I6, the housing I8 being located adjacent the backing plate I2, as shown in Figure 3. The hub I5 is formed at its outer end with the flange I9 to which the vehicle wheel may be bolted, as shown in Figure 2, as by bolts 2|, and the bearing unit I! is housed in an annular recess 22 located substantially in the are respective fluid pressure cyl'i-nders tll,

are a, the spindle Isis tapered at 24' between tii bearing assemblie' s lfi andI'I'. I i

The backing plate :2 is formed with i "r. a h a, an cured to the pe iphera "drier thdisc mam: ber are respective, gen l'y c-shafied Bialit m mber I whos bight 15c tio ns steamy fifg" the outer cylindrical" pnerai surfaeaf the? flange 25 and w seouter ar p'cfrtions 32 areslidably' receive inthje respe t fietcrles 3'0 t6 limit rotatiori or the? di's merits 29- ra ers 6} the disc rnember' 12; The i'iiffi v rfi a? the C-sl'iaped members, 31'" a designated and secured to each or sai'd inner arm p tio eyimders being" located inwards of the" bracket member 31 ahdib d1 H memberinz. Thepl'ung extend parallellto the s 111 'e" II @561 engage e ii 'sfi em r 1: bi lhW in re i if 1- through t'l'i respective a ms as" are as; stingscr ws 3T ch are; adaptecit li efi'g'a with' theidisc member 12th establish 166m; 555itiongf thdiisbimvemfi member I2; said ust n islerwsf being provided with 1 fi e s a e}. iii li r 515? m a di Z5; is m n'wi li f r fiad's' and w th i lirei as hollow projections 39, and 4 9; contain nglcojijlg Springs in em ses eem-estee projections' 39 and 40 are respective caps 43 provided with rotatable contact balls 44 which respectively engage the disc member I2 and the disc member 29 to bias said disc members apart. As shown in Figure 3, the spreading apart of the disc members I2 and 29 is opposed by the abutment of the stop screws 31 with the disc member I2, and, as explained above, the normal spacing between the disc members I2 and 29 can be regulated by adjusting said stop screws.

As shown in Figure 3, the periphery of the disc 29 is provided with a deformable ring 45 which engages the inside surface of the peripheral flange 25 of disc I2, and acts as a dust seal without interfering with the ability of disc 29 to slide toward or away from disc member I2. A similar ring 46 of deformable material is secured in the inner peripheral edge of the disc 29, the deformable ring 46 engaging the periphery of the housing I8 and sealing the space between the disc 29 and housing [8 against the entry of dust.

In Figure 3 the brake cylinders 34 may be connected to a fluid pressure system controlled by the vehicle brake pedal, as for example, the system connected to the respective conduits 41, 48 and 49 inFigure 1. 3 Additional fluid pressure brake cylinders 34' are provided on the arms 33 which may be connected to another fluid pressure system controlled by the vehicle hand brake lever and including the conduits 50, and 52, shown in Figure 1.

In operation, when either of the fluid pressure systems is actuated to introduce fluid pressure into the brake cylinders associated therewith, the plungers of said cylinders move against the disc members i2 of the associated brake assemblies and cause the disc members 29 to be moved toward the associated disc members 12. The disc members 29 engage the friction discs 26 and force said discs against the adjacent disc members i2, thereby exerting braking force on the wheels of the vehicle. When the fluid pressure is released, the disc members 29 are moved outwardly to their normal positions relative to the disc members i2 by the expansion of the springs 4i and 42 carried by the brake discs 26.

' It will be readily apparent that the annular braking pads 21 and 28 provide a relatively large braking area as compared with conventional brakes of the band type, and that the braking area in the above-described device is much greater than in a brake assembly of the band type for a brake assembly of given over-all size. It will be further apparent that relining the brake discs 26 may be accomplished rapidly and inexpensively, since it is merely necessary to remove thedisc member 29 and the wheel hub to provide access to the brake discs 26. The brake assemblies may be employed on all four wheels of a vehicle and may be employed with equal effectiveness when actuated either by the hand brake lever or by the brake pedal. It is thus apparent that the present invention provides a true emergency brake, and not merely a "parking brake. The mechanism involves no brake cables which rust, corrode, fray from wear, or freeze, and therefore provides more reliable operation than the conventional brake assemblies heretofore employed. It will also be apparent that the brake assembly can be easily adjusted for wear, since the brake cylinders 34, 34' are readily accessible and the hand brake system may be employed as a reference means for adjusting the elements of the pedal-operated portion of the brake system.

- While a specific embodiment of an improved vehicle brake assembly has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle, a spindle, a hub rotatably mounted on said spindle, a disc member rigidly secured to saidspindle, a notched peripheral flange on said disc member, an annular plate member slidably and rotatably engaged on said hub parallel to said disc member, respective brackets secured to said plate member and slidably engaging the notches in said flange, said brackets extending around said flange to the opposite side of said disc member, expansible fluid pressure means on said brackets engaging said disc member and being arranged to move said plate member toward said disc member, and a friction disc slidably and non-rotatably engaged on said hub between said disc member and said annular plate member and arranged to be brakingly urged against said disc member when said plate member is moved toward said disc member.

2. In a vehicle, a spindle, a hub rotatably mounted on said spindle, a disc member rigidly secured to said spindle, a notched peripheral flange on said disc member, an annular plate member slidably and rotatably engaged on said hub parallel to said disc member, respective generally C-shaped brackets secured to said plate member and slidably engaging the notches in said flange, said brackets extending transversely around said flange to the opposite side of said disc member, expansible fluid pressure means on said brackets engaging said disc member and being arranged to move said plate member towardsaiddisc member, a friction disc slidably and non-rotatably engaged on said hub between said disc member and said annular plate member and arranged to be brakingly urged against said disc member when said plate member is moved toward said disc member, and spring means biasing said friction disc toward an intermediate position between said disc member and said annular plate member.

KENNETH J. VAUGHN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

